Emanuel speed cameras may bring in more revenue than expected

Chicago speed camera warnings would have totaled nearly $14 million if they were tickets.

Chicago speed camera warnings would have totaled nearly $14 million if they were tickets.

Bill RuthhartTribune reporter

Chicago's first speed cameras at just four locations issued warnings to more than 233,000 speeders in 45 days, violations that would have totaled $13.8 million in tickets, according to data released by the city today.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has touted his speed camera program as a way to improve traffic safety for children near the city's parks and schools, but the early warning violations from Chicago's first speed cameras are the latest indicator that the fledgling program could be a financial windfall for the city.

Emanuel has projected $15 million in speed camera revenue for the remainder of 2013, with cameras at the first four locations beginning to issue fines Oct. 21 and the city planning to install more than 100 speed cameras at 50 locations by the end of the year. The Tribune reported in August that the city could gain far more in ticket revenue, based on the results of camera tests last December by the finalists for the speed camera contract.

The results from the soon-to-end warning period, first reported Thursday by WBEZ-FM, bolster that notion.

In 45 days, nine cameras near four city parks would have generated $13.3 million in fines, based on the 222,843 warning violations the city said it issued during that time period. That total, projected over an entire year for those four locations, is more than $106 million.

In just five days this month, four additional cameras near three other city parks would have issued $535,9555 in fines, based on 10,412 violations logged at those locations.

Under the city's speed camera ordinance, owners of vehicles going from 6 to 10 mph over the speed limit will receive a $35 ticket and those clocked at 11 mph or more over the limit will be tagged for $100 fines.

Drivers only receive fines after each camera has a 30-day period of only issuing warnings. After that grace period, drivers also are issued one warning before they receive their first fine.

From Aug. 26 through Oct. 9, the city's first four speed camera locations issued 138,131 warnings to drivers going between 6 to 10 mph over the limit and 84,712 warnings to those driving 11 mph or more over the limit, according to the city. From Oct. 5 through Oct. 9, the city's other three camera locations at parks issued 7,773 warnings for drivers speeding between 6 to 10 mph over the limit and 2,639 to those driving 11 mph or more over the limit.

Scott Kubly, the city transportation official who oversees the program, said the number of speeders were more than the city expected, but so, too, was the percentage by which warning citations dropped once the drivers began receiving warnings.

The total number of warnings issued on the first day each of the nine cameras operated totaled 11,884, the city said. By two weeks later that number dropping to 6,724 – a decrease of 43 percent.

"Yes, there were a lot of speeders, but I think the more interesting thing is how effective the warning period has been," Kubly said, adding that the city didn't expect such a significant drop until after it started issuing fines.

The warning violations are the latest projection that the city stands to reap millions from its speed camera program.

The Tribune previously reported that during a December trial, two companies vying for the city's speed camera contract clocked more than 93,000 speeders at four locations – violations that would have totaled $4.7 million in tickets in one month, or $56 million over the course of an entire year.

Kubly said the city had not adjusted its 2013 revenue projection of $15 million and he still expects to collect between $40 million and $60 million next year when cameras are up and running at 50 locations.

"These are warnings and not tickets for a reason," Kubly said. "We expect behavior to change dramatically, which it already has, and we think it's going to change even more."

Chicago's first speed cameras issued warnings to more than 233,000 speeders in 45 days, violations that would have totaled $13.8 million in tickets, according to city data released Friday.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has touted his speed camera program as a way to improve traffic safety for children near the city's parks and schools, but the early warning violations are the latest indicator that the fledgling program could be a financial windfall for his administration.

On Friday, the mayor tried to soften the imminent blow to drivers’ pocketbooks by announcing that at least for a while, the city would only issue $100 tickets for drivers caught going 11 mph and more over the speed limit. Those caught driving 6-10 mph over would not be issued $35 tickets as allowed under city ordinance.

The mayor has projected $15 million in speed camera revenue for the remainder of the year, with fines to be issued from the first four cameras beginning Oct. 21 and the city planning to install more than 100 speed cameras at 50 locations by year’s end. The Tribune reported in August that the city could gain far more in ticket revenue, based on the results of camera tests last December by the finalists for the speed camera contract.

Results from the soon-to-end warning period bolster that notion.

In 45 days, nine cameras near four city parks issued 222,843 warning violations. Had they been actual tickets, the city would have generated $13.3 million in fines. Projected over an entire year, those four locations alone could generate $106 million.

In just five days this month, four additional cameras near three other city parks issued 10,412 warnings, which would have been $535,955 in fines.

“There you go, our pension problems are solved,” joked Ald. Joe Moore, 49th, when he learned of the numbers. “It sounds like a lot of people are speeding out there, but I think what we’re going to see is those numbers reduce as people become more mindful of the cameras.”

Drivers receive fines only after a 30-day period of warnings for each camera. After that grace period, drivers also are issued one warning before they receive their first fine.

From Aug. 26 through Oct. 9, the city's first four speed camera locations issued 138,131 warnings to drivers going between 6 to 10 mph over the limit and 84,712 warnings to those driving 11 mph or more over the limit, according to the city. From Oct. 5-9, the city's other three camera locations at parks issued 7,773 warnings for drivers speeding between 6 to 10 mph over the limit and 2,639 to those driving 11 mph or more over the limit.

Scott Kubly, the city transportation official who oversees the program, said the number of speeders was more than the city expected, but so, too, was the percentage by which warning citations dropped once drivers began receiving warnings.

The number of warnings issued on the first day for each of the nine cameras was 11,884, the city said. Two weeks later, that number dropped to 6,724 — a decrease of 43 percent.

The warning violations are the latest projection that the city stands to reap millions from its speed camera program.

The Tribune has reported that during a December trial, two companies vying for the city's speed camera contract clocked more than 93,000 speeders at four locations — violations that would have totaled $4.7 million in tickets in one month, or $56 million over the course of an entire year.

Kubly said the city had not adjusted its 2013 revenue projection of $15 million and he still expects to collect between $40 million and $60 million next year when cameras are up and running at 50 locations.

“These are warnings and not tickets for a reason,” Kubly said. “We expect behavior to change dramatically, which it already has, and we think it's going to change even more.”

Ald. James Cappleman, 46th, one of 14 aldermen to vote against speed cameras, said he shared the belief of many of his constituents that the cameras were motivated by money, not safety.

“What I need to see from this data, and when tickets start occurring, is: Are lives being saved by this, and are there fewer car accidents?” Cappleman said. “There are a lot of people who believed the reason for these cameras was to generate revenue, and I share that belief.”

The Emanuel administration will skip part of the revenue it could have quickly brought in by not issuing $35 tickets for drivers going 6-10 mph above the speed limit.

“We want to bring the average speed down to the speed limit, but we want to give folks some time to adapt,” Kubly said. “So, we're going after the most egregious speeders first, and as the program goes along and we look at the data, we can consider lowering that trigger speed for fines.”

Kubly said the city had no time frame for when it would drop the speeding threshold for fines. He also said the city currently has no plans to add cameras to any locations beyond the 50 it expects to have running by the end of the year. City ordinance allows for up to 300 cameras to be installed across the city. The Emanuel administration can place cameras within an eighth of a mile of the city's parks and schools, which a Tribune analysis showed could cover nearly half the city.

The speed cameras are rolling out after a delay that followed Tribune reports of an alleged bribery scandal involving City Hall's 10-year-old red-light camera program. The scandal prompted the mayor to fire the red light camera operator, Redflex Traffic Systems, which at the time had been considered the front-runner to take on the speed camera initiative. Redflex has been granted extensions on its contract to operate the red-light program at least through the end of the year while the city selects a new company to run it.

Transportation officials also announced today that when the city begins issuing its first tickets later this month, it only will issue the $100 fines for speeders going more than 10 mph over the limit. Drivers speeding between 6 and 10 mph will not be fined for now, Kubly said.

"We want to bring the average speed down to the speed limit, but we want to give folks some time to adapt," he said. "So, we're going after the most egregious speeders first, and as the program goes along and we look at the data, we can consider lowering that trigger speed for fines."

Kubly said the city had no time frame for when it would drop the speeding threshold for fines. He also said the city currently has no plans to add cameras to any locations beyond the 50 it expects to have running by the end of the year.

City ordinance allows for up to 300 cameras to be installed across the city. The Emanuel administration can place cameras within 1/8 of a mile of the city's parks and schools, which a Tribune analysis showed could cover nearly half the city.

Cameras in school zones will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays with a 20 mph speed limit until 4 p.m. and a 30 mph limit after that and when no children are present. Park safety zone enforcement hours typically run from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. all seven days with a 30 mph speed limit.

Emanuel had predicted as much as $30 million coming in from speed cameras this year. But the mayor was forced to pare that projection back to the current $15 million after the rollout was delayed following Tribune reports of an alleged bribery scandal involving City Hall's 10-year-old red-light camera program.

The scandal prompted the mayor to fire the red light camera operator, Redflex Traffic Systems, which at the time had been considered the front-runner to take on the speed camera initiative. Redflex has been granted extensions on its contract to operate the red light program at least through the end of the year while the city selects a new company to run it.